I was super excited to get the opportunity to review The Secret to Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat and the 4-week Plan to Drop a Size & Get Healthier with Simple Low-Sodium Swaps by Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD and Lyssie Lakatos, RD The Nutrition Twins – and not just because the Nutrition Twins are so absolutely sweet and fun to work with. 🙂 Here’s my thoughts on the book:

My Take

Salt – it’s one of my secret enemies. When I first met my husband, I often wondered why he even used a salt shaker at all. I can remember asking him once or twice if he wouldn’t just prefer I go out and get him a salt block to lick – that’s how much salt he was pouring on his food! When he had a heart attack at the age of 26 and had to change his eating habits, the salt was one of the first things to go. When I was offered a chance to review The Secret to Skinny by the Nutrition Twins (who are absolutely sweet and friendly), I was super excited. See, I’ve been fighting my own salt war for a while, and the more I learned about salt, the more I wanted to cut it out of my diet.

I absolutely love the menus and food suggestions offered in this book – they are not only delicious, but also totally doable. I absolutely hate it when a diet plan is really just not realistic to use for the long term, but the Nutrition Twins are definitely on to something with their menus and recipes. I really love the appendix in the back that has the JumpStart foods listed in a table – it’s super easy to see the serving size, calories and sodium content of the foods, which is a big winner when trying to lose weight and follow their menus. The ability to customize the menus with the foods in the tables is also super helpful, that way I can use the foods that I already have in the pantry or are on sale that week at the grocery store. It really helps my frugal side to be able to customize!

Personally, I love this book and the way it breaks down what I need to do – including how to exercise – to get the weight loss that I’m after. I would give it as a gift to any member of my family, but especially the women because I think they have more of a chance of reading it than most of the men in my family. It’s not that the men couldn’t use it, but typically if the women in the family are on board to make a change, the men don’t stand a chance. However, that does not work the other way – so it’s important to get the women on board first! 🙂 Anyone who is interested in losing weight and/or interested in learning more about nutrition could really use this book. I would even consider it for some of my bride-to-be friends. The information is laid out well, and super easy to read. I really think you will love this book as much as I do!

The Perfect Gift For…This book is the perfect gift for anyone who is interested in nutrition and wellness. I would also recommend giving it to someone who you know is struggling to lose weight, as long as you are close enough to them that it will not offend them (some people are offended by weight loss gifts I know, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend you getting in trouble at the holiday!). For me, I will likely be giving this book to my mother-in-law, because I know it’s something that she would be very interested in reading.

DisclosureI received a free copy of this book to facilitate my review. I received no other compensation for writing it and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions in my review are honest and my own.

I recently had the opportunity to review the book entitled Best Food for Your Baby & Toddler by Jeannette L Bessinger, CHHC with Tracee Yablon-Brenner RD CHHC. I was really excited to add this book to my gift guide, because I think it’s a perfect gift for any expecting parents or new parents. It’s a very well written book, and I’m sure you will come to like it as much as I have.

My TakeThis book is a fantastic resource for parents and caregivers alike. I would highly recommend this book as a gift for any baby shower, new parent or parent-to-be. I would also recommend it for any caregiver who will be serving meals to infants or toddlers – there are a lot of great ideas in here! I really appreciate the first two parts of the book that explain nutrition basics, details and breaks down the food needs of our children for the first three years. The information is clear and concise – and you don’t have to be a registered dietitian yourself to understand what they are talking about. Tips are scattered in with the facts, so even if you only have a few minutes at the doctor’s office to open it quickly and read, you will still get some great information.

Of course the third part of the book, which has a huge variety of recipes, is also awesome. I appreciate that the recipes are broken down into how many infant or toddler-sized servings each one will create, in addition to how many adult servings. This way you really can make one meal for the whole family, or you can take advantage of pre-cooking to make a really great selection of toddler meals. There’s even a section with some ideas for toddler chefs, like making pizza with your toddler – a great activity, and I know my son loved it! There is also a very complete list of resources which covers a wide variety – from breast pumps to food coloring, as well as a glossary to fill you in on some of the topics you might not be as familiar with.

This book is an awesome resource, and I really wish that I had read it before the birth of my son. I will definitely keep it on hand and use the infant menus for any new additions to our family, and will also give it away as a baby shower gift. Even if your child is already a toddler, I recommend reading this book because it contains a lot of really useful nutrition information, and it’s so easy to understand that it gave me a new perspective on my own nutrition too. It’s very well put together, an easy read, and super informative – I’m sure you will love it as much as I do!

The Perfect Gift For…This book is the perfect gift for any expecting parents or new parents – even those with older infants. There is so much excellent information about what the proper nutrition is for children in this book, it’s more than just the recipes. Which is not to lessen the recipes whatsoever – they are excellent suggestions and even include storage and make-ahead information too, which really helps to make feeding your child healthy food even easier.DisclosureI received this book free of charge in order to facilitate this review. I was not compensated for writing this review and the opinions I have shared are honest and my own.

I was recently offered a chance to review the Beat Sugar Addiction Now! book written by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD with Chrystle Fiedler. Here are my thoughts about it –

My TakeHello, my name is Joanna and I’m a sugar addict. I knew before I ever decided to review this book that I am a sugar addict – and that I need to get my act together. If you’ve been following along on my blog much at all, you may have seen some workout/weight related posts that often talk about how I rarely lose weight – I’ve been hovering at 230 for months. It’s not that I don’t know what I need to do to lose weight – I do work out, I work out hard and I love the feeling I get when I work out. I do need to add more cardio, but that’s not the main reason I have a problem. The main reason is that I’m weak. I crave sweets and crabs like there is no tomorrow. I know this weakness, and yet I feel completely unable to stop it. It’s even harder for me that quitting smoking.

Sugar addiction for me is worse than nicotine. Dr. Teitelbaum does not make it seem easy or simple to overcome a sugar addiction in this book – he gives the straight information, what you should’ve known all along but if you’re like me you’ve been looking the other way for so long it’s easy to pretend we don’t know. He tells you what you need to do and how you can help yourself dig out of this nutritional wasteland of sugar addiction. The main information is written on a little graphic of a prescription pad – you know this is serious information, so it’s easy to flip back and see what you should be doing. I also really like that he includes information on supplements and herbs that may help with some of the issues you face when dealing with a sugar addiction (like insomnia, for example).

My family is a big book reading family, and we also care about health and nutrition, so for me this is a no-brainer. I would also consider giving this book as a gift to my sister-in-law because she struggles with weight and sugar addiction problems just like I do. The information is backed up by a list of resources, which is something I truly enjoy – I like to check up on what I’m reading to make sure it’s legit. I also love that when a supplement is recommended, the information about why and how it works is also included, this makes sense to me, and I wouldn’t want to take something without this information.

The Perfect Gift For…If you have someone on your list who is into fitness and healthy eating, this is a great read for them. Or if you have a close friend or family member who know has been trying to lose weight and struggling, I would recommend this book for them also. Just make sure you know them well enough so that they won’t be offended by you giving them this book – it’s not about weight loss, it’s about making them feel better!

DisclosureI received this book for free to facilitate this review. I was not compensated in any other way for writing this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. My opinions are honest and my own.

There is a lot to love in the Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion, and it’s not limited to the beautiful patterns or the full color pictures that display the patterns. When I first began reading this book, I realized exactly how long it had been since I last used a crochet hook. Undaunted, I picked up a hook and some yarn and set off on a very peaceful journey.

One of my favorite parts of this book, aside from the patterns, is the scattering of prayers and ideas in between the patterns – ideas of how to start a Prayer Shawl ministry, how to present someone with a Prayer Shawl and more. Although I do not have a local prayer shawl ministry to join, I began my own ministry. Having a person in mind, reciting some of the prayers I found in the book and crafting a warm, comforting hug was a wonderful experience.

Now that I have one prayer shawl, I’ve found that I can easily think of many more people who deserve and may even like to have one. My list continues to grow, and I appreciate the variety of designs in this book because not everyone would be as happy with the same design. That’s not to say that any of the designs are not wonderful, but rather that some fit to the personalities and habits of some people better than others. There is a great mix of patterns in this book, and I haven’t thought of a person who I didn’t find the perfect pattern for in the book.

Even if you don’t have a lot of time, as most busy mothers don’t, I would highly encourage you to pick up this book and give it a whirl. Especially now, you could give these shawls as gifts – the holidays are coming up and everyone needs a little more help during that time period. It’s so peaceful and somehow different than when I’ve crocheted before, now that I have my mind on something in particular – the recipient of the prayer shawl. I enjoyed concentrating my thoughts and efforts into creating what I hold in my heart as a very warm, comforting hug. I feel like a part of my heart will go with it, and I couldn’t ask for a better way to help a friend.

Disclosure: I had the pleasure of reading this book as a free galley from the publisher. I have received no compensation for writing this review.

Bobby and Zarah have led such different lives. From the beginning of the story through the end, it’s interesting to see how – although they lived different lives, they came back to one another. The meddling grandmothers make great matchmakers, even if they don’t know the entire story of the why and the how these two would make a great couple. Bobby is a great knight-in-shining armour who saves Zarah from several things – being subservient in a group of her peers, being hurt by her father, a fraud investigation, as well as a lonely life. The tension between the two is palpable while reading, and Ms. Dacus writes emotions plainly, cleanly and openly, which really brings the reader into the story. Set in Nashville, the hometown of the author, Love Remains is an inspirational, romantic and funny story that is a great way to spend some time with a book. Ms. Dacus herself says that she likes to write “inspirational romance with a sense of humor”, and she definitely accomplishes that in this book. While you’re at it, stop and pick up a copy of her novel Stand-In Groom which was a finalist for a Christy Award!

Disclosure: I have received no compensation for writing this review. The book was provided as a free galley by the publisher.

Ms. McDonough is an excellent writer who displays the depth and breadth of the emotions in her story so well that the reader is sucked right into the tangle of Rachel and Luke’s lives. This story was an excellent read – Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall, with the twists and turns elegantly woven. A reader can practically smell the pies that Rachel bakes as she cooks at the Boardinghouse.

The stories of the three mail-order brides are mixed in with the daily life in Lookout, Texas, until they too arrive on the scene. I’m not a big fan of flashbacks or cutaways, but in this story it was necessary to show all the lines merging together, and Ms. McDonough played it well. My favorite character is Rachel’s daughter, though. She’s spunky and a tomboy – just as I was at her age.

Falling in love with Luke is no difficult task thanks to the emotions that are clearly portrayed by the author. Just about anyone would be willing to claim the entry as the anonymous bride with him as the prize! Although I felt that the ending came too quickly and wrapped up a little too perfectly, it is a great Happily Ever After story, and you can tell there is more to come in this series. I’m looking forward to reading more!

Disclosure: This book was provided as a free galley from the publisher. I have received no compensation for this review.

The Secret History of the Pink CarnationAuthor: Lauren WillingPublisher: NAL TradeISBN: 1863254781

This novel is written both in the present and also in the past as the narrator herself is immersed in the world of the Pink Carnation. The ending of the book leads well into having more books of the same world, as can be seen in the series created by the author. Overall, this book possesses ingenuity, proper manners and the right spice to keep it interesting and to keep the reader flipping through the pages.

The light and cheery tone sets a great pace that allows the reader to become immersed and reluctant to put the book down, just as the narrarator is reluctant to book down the story she is reading about the Pink Carnation. Until the very end of the book, we do not know for sure who the Pink Carnation is, but we know that the main character, Amy Balcourt, is determined become a spy.

Amy and her mother were sent to live in England while political turmoil was too dangerous for them to live in their home country of France. As a child, Amy loved to read about the Scarlett Pimpernel and practiced her spy skills so that one day, when she was able to return to France, she would be able to join his league. Finally her time has come and her brother, who is still in France, invites her to his house. Because the Scarlett Pimpernel has retired, Amy now hopes to join the league of the Purple Gentian.

The man of the story, Lord Richard Selwick, realizes that he is falling in love with Amy, but decides that it is to her benefit that he never reveal his secret identity – as the Purple Gentian. Amy believes she is falling in love with the Purple Gentian and this tangle continues to produce the outcome of the Pink Carnation. It’s a great read, really able to hold a reader’s attention and I highly recommend it!

Disclosure: This book was borrowed from a book exchange. I have received no compensation for writing this review.

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My name is Joanna Liberty, although you may know me online as way2gomom. I'm an at home mom to 2 very rowdy boys, and I love to crochet, garden, learn how to be healthier, and write! Thanks for checking out my site, I'd love to know what you think!

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